Nancy (Nicole Kidman) seems to have the most pristine life set like a neatly folded shirty within Mimi Cave’s “Holland,” a film that pushes the “all that shimmers isn’t gold” theme. The Dutch-infused Michigan town is pulled straight out of “The Stepford Wives.” White picket fences, freshly cut lawns, and a tight-knit community where everybody is in their seats on time for Sunday morning church service. Nancy fits in the dual role of an economics teacher and a housewife to her optometrist husband Fred (Matthew Macfadyen) and her son Harry (Jude Hill). Well, at least things appear to be perfect. See, a little bit of longing is building up inside Nancy’s ole heart that craves adventure.
Harry is getting to the point where he would rather hang out with friends. Blockbuster DVD nights are for a party of one. Fred is a man of the community, and his job takes him away on various business trips. It just so happens Nancy stumbles upon a discovery that leads her down a path of suspicion for much of the film’s duration. Therein lies the difficulties the film creates for itself, venturing down multiple paths to keep the audience engaged and guessing. Instead, the character motivations are muddled to the point of confusion. The mystery surrounding this town is not as hard-hitting as Cave and writer Andrew Sodorski might have wanted. “Holland” has its wires crossed as the twists and character development do a discordant dance together.
Perhaps Fred is too wholesome for his own good. Clues lead Nancy to believe he is carrying out a possible affair. To that effect, she enlists her fellow shop-teaching co-worker Dave (Gael García Bernal) to help her catch Fred red-handed. There are some scenarios where near-misses of them being discovered happened in almost cartoon/detective fashion. However, it becomes apparent Nancy and Dave have feelings for one another.
JUDE HILL and NICOLE KIDMAN star in HOLLAND Courtesy of Prime Video © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC
Rather than an interesting wrinkle to an evolving thriller, it’s a plot point that muddies the waters. You begin to question if the cheating aspect of the story is the whole endgame for the main character herself. To Kidman’s credit, she plays the woman looking to bust out of a formulaic suburban lifestyle well – fully committing to the bit. Despite this, “Holland’s choices undercut what would be the somewhat comedic tone if it went down that road. If you’re paying attention, the film shows you the eventual reveal.
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Cave’s first feature, “Fresh,” places you within a false sense of security before showing the overall theme behind the curtain. With “Holland,” the score of Alex Somers and the cinematography of Pawel Pogorzelski do the heavy lifting concerning the suspenseful nature the film is trying to invoke. There’s also a side plot involving Dave’s character with him experiencing racism in the small town, which is never fully realized. Nancy and Dave also become more uncouth when realizing their feelings for one another. A rather nosy community such as this one might catch on. But with stakeouts, hats, and glasses, they roll with the punches — perhaps a little bit too easy than “Holland” would lead you to believe.
Yet, there’s still an entertaining, zany thriller within the noise if there were a few tweaks. “Holland” gives you too much to chew on. One minute, it’s a collection of feverish nightmares of guilt rising within the main characters. Next, they choose to ignore the unequivocal warnings in front of them to justify their own misgivings. By the end, everything feels like a mirage much like the town the story originates from.
Holland premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival. It will be released on Amazon Prime Video on March 27, 2025.
